london



F. W. CHAMIER AND W. CURTIS.

HAND GRENADE AND THE LIKE.

Invenfa PJ.

I CHAMrER and WILLIAM OURTIs,

;ject s of UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

' FREDERIC WILLIAM CHAMIER AND WILLIAM CURTIS, or HYDE PARK, LONDON,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNOBS To 0. r. e. COMPANY, LIMITED, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

HANDPGRENAIDE AND THE LIKE.

Be it known that we, FREDERIO WILL AM both subthe King of Great Britain, reslding. at 63 Queensborough Terrace, .Hyde

Park, in the county of London, England,

' have invented certain-new and useful Imnade isrendered free and becomes displaced safety device provements in or Relating to Hand-(irrenades and the like, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to hand grenades and trench mortar bombs of the percussion or impact type as distinct from those provided with time fuses. v

' According to the invention the firing mechanism of the grenade or bomb (hereinafter termed grenade) i prevented from operating to effect the explosion of the bursting charge, by a' displaceable ball or member which is normally supported centrally in a fixed IPOSltlOIl but upon nnpact of the gre to release: the firing mechanism, a-sultable (which maybe in the form of a displaceable cage surrounding the said loose ball or member) being preferably provided to prevent the ball from becoming free until the grenade-has left the hand of the thrower or has been discharged from a throwing device. I

In order thatthe said invention may be clearly understood and readily carriedinto effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings which shows the preferred embodiment of the invention and in wh1ch:

' *Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing parts immediately the enlarged bulbous the parts in their normal position.

Fig: .2 is a sectional elevation illustrating the approximate position assumed bythe grenade has been thrown. r j

Y Fig. 3' is a sectional elevation showing the approximate position assumed by'the parts after impact with the object aimed at and at the usual construction and configuration. 2 is a centering disk, and 3 is ahollow closure plug which is screwed into an opening 4 at the base of the grenade. The disk 2 is formed, with a central opening 5, and be tween the said opening 5 and an opening 6- in the top of the grenade is locateda center piece 7 in the form of a tube having an center part 7 11 is the Specification of Letters Patent.

H Application filed November 27,1916. Serial No. 133,666.

"or fulcrum 29 being Patented May 6, 1919.

displaceable member in the form of a ball, which is normally held between supporting members 12 and 17. Slidably mounted within the upper part of the center piece 7 is a displaceable hollow safety cage 8, having the form of a hollow piston or plunger provided at its upper end with a conical part 9 and at its lower end with a number of depending arms 10, which normally surround the ball 11. Within the safety cage 8 is located the member 12 in the form of a cylinder or plunger having a recessed upper part 13 and a lower part 14 of truncoconical formation formed with a slightly indented end 15 which engages the adjacent surface of the ball 11. The part 12 may either be fixed or movable. In the embodiment shown the part movement by indenting with a center punch a part7 2 of the center piece 7 into the part 12. Located between the recessed upper part 13 of the part 12 and the inner end of the hollow cage 8 is a helical compression spring 16. Slidably mounted Within the lower part of the center piece 7 is the plunger- 17 the upper end 18 of which is of trunco-conical formation and has a slightly indented end 19 which engages closely the adjacent surface of the ball 11. The lower part of the plunger 17 is provided with a central boss or extension 20 over which is passed a washer 21 and around which is located a helical compression spring 22 one end of which bears on the said washer and the other end of which rests on the hollow closure plug 3. The plunger 17 is formed with a longitudinal slot 23 within the lower part of which is secured a detonator 24:. Provided on the centerpiece 7 is a spring collar 25 which is sprung into position around the center piece 7 and which comprises a split ring having a bent part 26 forming a striker which extends through an opening 27 in the center piece 7 into the aforesaid longitudinal slot 23. 28 is a safety lever similar to that forming part of certain known types of hand grenades the pivot disposed at the opposite side of the axis of the grenade to that filling hole 33 closed by a removable plug 3&.

It will be understood that the cavity formed by the bulbous center part 7 is of sufficient size to enable the'ball 11 to assume ing device, the safety lever 28 is released and moves about its fulcrum 29 under the influence of the upward pressure of the spring pressed part 9, until the hand lever-28 and.

the part 9 assume approximately the position shown in Fig. 2. The arms 10 also'move upward with the part9 and'ceaseto embrace the ball 11 which latter however continues to be supported inposition by the resilient pressure of the plunger 17 whichholds the ball against the; mem b'er 12 which is coaxial with the plunger 1 fromthe position shownv at .Fig. 2 and falling clear to one side members 12 and 17, assumes the position shown at Fig. 8. The plunger 17"i's thus released and immediately moving upward it carries the detonat'or 24: with it into contact with the striker 26; thus By increasing the strength of the spring which acts on the plunger 17 so that the ball is held in positionwith suiiicient pressure toprevent its displacement even under. the influence of a violent shock, the safety cage 9 might in certain cases be dispensed with. In such cases the member 12 may also be made movable and be spring controlled, the arrangement being such that immediately the safety lever is released by the grenade being thrown the pressure exerted by the spring or springs is partially relaxed to an extent that will allow the ball to be displaced by a shock of impact of suflicient magnitude. 7 r

It will be seen that the firing mechanism cannot operate until the safety'lever is released, thus obviating the danger which results from the liability of hand grenades as at present constructed exploding whilein the hand of the thrower, as mayhappeIn-if, in the act of throwing the grenade, thehand of the thrower should come into contact with any object, for example the-rear Wall of a: trench. It is also to be observed that by reasonof the improvements the necessityfof employing streamers to insure that the for the grenade shall strike the will be released and displaced immediately the grenade strikes the ground, thus obviat ing the well known disadvantages resulting from the use of these streamers.

In order to avoid On the shock of im-,. pa'ct the ball 11', is immediately dislodged or. the other of the- .able members by, shock of, grenade, and means for preventing,displace; 5 'ment' of.

until after the grenade has firing thegrenade.

able members by" shook;

' ball being displaced laterally'ifrom be liability of the ball be coming displaced by centrifugal a otioni dur ing the passage of the grenade through the i air, the ball or member'must'be so's'ituated that its center coincides for all practical purposes with the center of gravity of the grenade.

' said members toffmove toward each other,

firing;mechanismicontrolled by the relative .70 What we claim and desire to" secure" by rs; meansv for causing) H movementfofqsaid members, anda displace- T able member' supported 7 tively movable members andinorm ing them: -apart,-i.saidi member being? displaced latrallyfron'r between. said relatively movable members by shock ofimpaet of the grenade.

2: A= grenade; comprising apair. of rela- Ytively'movarblemem rs, means for causing 7 v memberslto move toward cachet-her,

member supported a between said relatively said relativelyv movable members been. thrown. 3. A grenade comprising a pair offrelatively movable members; means. for causing said members to firing mechanism eontrolled by the relative movementof'said members,- a displa-ceable member supported between said relatively movable members and normally holding them apart, said member being displaced laterally from between said relatively moi"- of impact ofthe grenade and a safety device fornoifmallyie: straining. said member from becoming displaced, and means for moving said ;.safety device from its restrainingpositionafter the grenade has been thrown. V A V grenade .;comprisi1ig apair of. relatively movable I said members tomov'e toward each firing mechanism cont-rolled by the relative movementof-said memb rs; and a ball 'suported between said rel atively movableu'n'embetween said iela ally'liold: V

1'11()V I p t of e move toward each fo'ther,

members; meansforrcausing other,

, ersflandnormally.holdi'hgithemapart; said 7 said relatively movable" members by shock of impact oftthe grenade. I I V 5. A grenade of theimpact ignition type',

comprisingfirin .mc'hamsm, a displaceable member, means orsupportm'g saidmember 1n a position to rendr thek-firing mechanism inoperative until :said{ member is displaced by shockofimpact; a safety device for normallyrestraining said member from becomii ing displaced,

and a spring influenced lever them apart,

- 'ing displaced, and

' mechanism, a said plunger,

. gravity of V ber'with su 6. A grenade comprising a pair of relatively movabls members, means for causing said members to move toward each other,

- firing mechanism controlled by the relative movement of said members, member supported between said relatively a displaceable movable members and normally holding said member being displaced laterally from between said relatively movable members by shock of impact of the grenade and a slidable safety device for normally restraining said member from becommeans for moving said slidable safety device from its restraining position after the grenade has been thrown.

7 A grenade of the impact ignition type, comprising firing mechanism, a spring controlled plunger forming part of the firing member located coaxially with and a displaceable ball normally supported at or about the center of the grenade between said spring gllunger and said co-aXial memcient pressure to insure that the controlled ball will become displaced to release the y spring controlled plunger on shock of impact.

8. A grenade of the impact ignition type, comprising firing mechanism, a spring controlled plunger forming part of the firing mechanism, a member located co-axially with said plunger, a displaceable bell normally supported at or about the center of gravity of the grenade, between said spring controlled plunger and said co-axial member, with suflicient pressure to insure that the ball will become displaced to release the plunger on shock of impact, and means for preventing said ball from becoming displaced until after the grenade has been thrown.

9. A grenade of the impact ignition type,

comprising firing mechanism, a spring con- 1 copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

trolled plunger having a conical end and forming part of the firing mechanism, a cocoaxial member also having a conical end,

a displaceable ball normally supported at or about the center of gravity of the grenade between the conical ends of said plunger and co-aXial member with sufiicient pressure to insure that the ball will become displaced to release the said plunger on shock of impact, a safety device for normally restraining said ball from becoming displaced, and means for moving said safety device from its restraining position after the gre nade has been thrown.

11. A grenade of the impact ignition type, comprising firing mechanism, a spring controlled plunger forming part of the firin mechanism, a member located coaxially wit 1 said plunger, a displaceable ball supported at or about the center of gravity of the grenade between said spring controlled plunger and said co-axial member, and means whereby the spring pressure normally exerted on the ball by the lunger and co-axial member is rendered su cient to prevent the ball from becoming displaced but is released to such an extent after the grenade has been thrown that the shock of impact will sufiice to cause the ball to be displaced and liberate the firing mechanism.

FREDERIG WILLIAM CHAMIER. WM. CURTIS.

by addressing the commissioner of ratenta.

Washington, D. 0. 

